PESCAMAPA

Fishing in Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego: sea-run brown trout, rules and 2026/27 permit

The sea-run brown trout of the Río Grande and the Menéndez. The 2026/27 rules read from the official text, the permit, the rates the lodges publish and what is still to confirm.

By Equipo Pescamapa · Updated · Regulations checked 4 November 2026

Species
Techniques
Fly fishing with two-handed and single-handed rods · Spinning (spoon) · Catch and release
When
30 October 2026 to 2 May 2027; on the Río Grande and its tributaries, until 18 April 2027.

Río Grande, in the north of the island of Tierra del Fuego, is the base for fishing sea-run brown trout (the trout that lives at sea and returns to the river to spawn) on the Río Grande and its tributary the Menéndez. The lodges sit on estancias 50 to 60 minutes from the airport. This page brings together the 2026/27 rules read from the official text, the permit and what it costs, what the lodges publish and what we have not confirmed yet.

The 2026/27 season

The Environment Secretariat opened the season with Resolución S.A. No. 259/2026: it began on 30 October 2026 and ends on 2 May 2027 inclusive; after that a closed season applies across the province. On the Río Grande and its tributaries (Candelaria, Ona, Menéndez, Rasmussen, Moneta and Herminita) fishing opens on 30 October and closes on 18 April 2027, inclusive.

A note so you are not confused: the ministry page still says, for the Río Grande, “until 13 April 2025”, a date from last season that was never updated. We follow the resolution, which is the signed text, so we publish 18 April 2027.

General rules we have read

  • Mandatory release of every fish in provincial waters from 1 March 2027 to the close of the season. Before that date, except on waters with their own rules, each angler may keep one fish a day and may not carry more than one.
  • Allowed methods: spoon or spinning, and fly. One artificial lure per rod, with a single or double hook. Spinning anglers may use a bubble float and a fly.
  • Banned: trolling or dragging from a motorised boat, bait, lead weights, gaffs, nets, longlines and lures with batteries. The penalty reaches both the angler and the boat operator.
  • Daylight fishing only, between the twilight times published by the Naval Hydrographic Service. Night fishing is banned across the province.
  • Chinook and coho salmon are among the permitted species, subject to the methods and conditions of each water.

The Río Grande and its tributaries

  • Only catch and release of all salmonids is allowed, from 30 October 2026 to 18 April 2027.
  • Anglers registered in the Tierra del Fuego Fishing Access System (SAPTDF) with a prior booking can reach the “El Tropezón” sector and the other open accesses. Booking and not cancelling 24 hours ahead can get you suspended from the system.
  • Río Claro: one stretch only, catch and release, on foot, booked through SAPTDF, with a quota of 10 rods a day.
  • Fishing is banned all year on the Mimica stream, the La Unión or In River, the Los Salmones brook, Laguna San Luis and the stretch of the Valdez River between the Route 3 bridge and Lake Fagnano. Lake Yakush and the Indio River are closed while the preventive closure of the Corazón de la Isla Provincial Reserve lasts.

The permit and what it costs

The permit is provincial: you register at www.siped.ar and buy it at authorised shops in Río Grande, Ushuaia and Tolhuin (among them Angler’s Aventuras Fly Shop, El Robalo and the Asociación Riograndense de Pesca con Mosca, in Río Grande). The resolution’s values for non-resident foreigners, in Argentine pesos:

  • Ordinary permit: one day AR$ 78,000; three days AR$ 117,000; seven days AR$ 195,000; season AR$ 260,000.
  • Additional preferential-zone permit, Grande and Menéndez rivers: one day AR$ 59,000; three days AR$ 163,000; seven days AR$ 260,000; season AR$ 390,000. It comes on top of the ordinary permit.
  • For foreigners from bordering countries, the additional permit for the Grande and Menéndez is AR$ 65,000 a day, AR$ 78,000 for three days, AR$ 130,000 for seven days and AR$ 175,000 for the season.
  • Residents of Argentina: one day AR$ 26,000; three days AR$ 39,000; seven days AR$ 65,000; season AR$ 90,000; ages 13 to 17, season AR$ 20,000. No charge for children under 12, people with disabilities, retirees and pensioners, for catch-and-release fishing only.

According to 2024 press, the Patagonian permit is not valid in Tierra del Fuego or Santa Cruz. A lodge may or may not include the permit in its rate: read what each one says.

When the fish are in

The operators do not agree, and we say so. AHO Fishing says the fish start returning from the sea around mid-November and that by the end of January most of the run is in the river. KD Flyfishing, which sells trips to Wuijoor Lodge, puts the sea-trout season between December and April, with late February to mid-April as the prime months. Kau Tapen Lodge opens its 2027 season on 26 December 2026 and closes it on 17 April 2027. To choose your week, ask your lodge.

Getting there

Kau Tapen Lodge describes the flight from Buenos Aires to Río Grande as about three hours and the transfer from the airport to the lodge as 50 to 60 minutes. KD Flyfishing gives 50 minutes from Río Grande airport to Wuijoor Lodge. Ushuaia is the alternative, about three hours by road. These are each operator’s own times.

Lodges and outfitters

Below are the ones we found with public information; we have not contacted them yet, which is why they are marked. A rate is shown only when the operator publishes it with its season.

Indicative calendar

Season from 30 October 2026 to 18 April 2027

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
  • Open by the rule
  • Best time, according to KD Flyfishing, vendedor de viajes a Wuijoor Lodge
  • Closed

Dates for the Río Grande and its tributaries; the rest of the province closes on 2 May 2027.

A month shows as open if any day of it falls inside the season. Waters with their own rules may open or close on other dates: read this guide's regulations.

WhenWhat to expect
30 October2026/27 season opens across the province (Resolución S.A. 259/2026).
December to AprilLodge season: Kau Tapen from 26 December 2026 to 17 April 2027; Wuijoor Lodge December to April, best from late February to mid-April (per the trip seller).
1 MarchFrom this date release is mandatory across the province.
18 AprilFishing closes on the Río Grande and its tributaries (2027). The rest of the province closes on 2 May 2027.

Licence, closures and regulations

Resolución S.A. No. 259/2026 of the Tierra del Fuego Environment Secretariat (regulation, permits and values for the 2026/27 season), read in the official PDF on 4 November 2026. Season from 30 October 2026 to 2 May 2027; on the Río Grande and its tributaries, mandatory release until 18 April 2027. Permit values are those of the resolution; confirm them when you buy.

Authority: Secretaría de Ambiente de Tierra del Fuego (Ministerio de Producción y Ambiente)

Last checked: 4 November 2026. Rules change: confirm with the authority before you go.

Guides and lodging

Tell us what you are looking for and we will connect you with guides and lodging in Río Grande (Tierra del Fuego). We build listings from public information and correct them with each provider; prices, when shown, are dated.

Packages and trips

AHO Fishing, Río Grande

Fishing programme at a lodge on the Río Grande. According to its website it has four double rooms with private bathrooms for a maximum of eight guests, with meals and drinks included, and only four rods are allowed on the river at once. It recommends two-handed 7 to 9 weight rods of 12 to 15 feet. It publishes no rate.

Fishing styles
Fly fishing (flycast)
Boat
Up to 8 anglers per boat
Includes
Lodging · Meals · Drinks
Languages
English

Price: on request

Public information, not yet checked with the provider. Is this your business? Ask us to correct or remove it. · Source: argentinaheritagefishing.com

Ask about availability

Lodging

Kau Tapen Lodge

Lodge on the Río Grande, operating since 1984 according to its website. It sleeps up to 10 anglers (sometimes 12) in single rooms with a bathroom. Its website publishes, for the season from 26 December 2026 to 17 April 2027, between USD 12,950 and USD 14,950 per person per week depending on the date, in a single room with a shared guide (two anglers per guide). It includes the transfer from Río Grande airport, meals and drinks, a guide and loaner equipment; it does not include flights, the fishing licence, laundry or tips. It asks for a 50% non-refundable deposit.

Fishing styles
Fly fishing (flycast)
Boat
Up to 10 anglers per boat
Boat and gear
Tackle provided
Includes
Lodging · Meals · Drinks · Transfers · Fishing tackle
Languages
English

USD 12,950 to 14,950 per person per week, depending on the date (season 26 Dec 2026 to 17 Apr 2027; single room, shared guide) (price checked within the last 30 days)

Public information, not yet checked with the provider. Is this your business? Ask us to correct or remove it. · Source: kautapen.com

Ask about availability

Lodging

Wuijoor Lodge

Lodge on the Menéndez River, within Estancia Laura, about 60 km south-west of the city of Río Grande, with room for six anglers in three double rooms. Founded in 2023 and open for fishing in 2024, according to KD Flyfishing, which sells trips to this lodge. The usual stay is seven nights with six fishing days; the transfer from Río Grande airport takes 50 minutes. We publish no rate: the page we read shows none.

Fishing styles
Fly fishing (flycast)
Boat
Up to 6 anglers per boat
Languages
English

Price: on request

Public information, not yet checked with the provider. Is this your business? Ask us to correct or remove it. · Source: kdflyfishing.com

Ask about availability

All Río Grande (Tierra del Fuego) listings on one page: fishing guides in Río Grande (Tierra del Fuego) →

How to choose a guide: what to ask before booking

  1. Style: does the guide fish bait, spinning/baitcasting or fly? Pick one who specialises in what you want to do.
  2. Boat and gear: what boat, how many anglers it takes, which engine (horsepower, bow electric motor)? Casting platform, fish finder? Is tackle provided?
  3. What is included: bait, meals, fuel, lodging, transfers. Get it in writing, with the price.
  4. Timing rules: the month decides the fishing. Ask what works on your dates, at what river level and water temperature.
  5. The place: where the lodging is, boat ramp, distance to the fishing areas and the overall setting.
  6. References: photos of recent trips and anglers who have been. If you can, talk to the owner or operator.

Put together from what local guides and operators told us.

To read before you go to Río Grande (Tierra del Fuego)

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Frequently asked questions

Can I fish in Río Grande (Tierra del Fuego) now?

As of 5 November 2026, yes: the season is open, from 30 October 2026 to 18 April 2027. Dates for the Río Grande and its tributaries; the rest of the province closes on 2 May 2027. Dates according to Secretaría de Ambiente de Tierra del Fuego (Ministerio de Producción y Ambiente). Waters with their own rules may have other dates, and the rules change every season: read this guide's regulations.

When is the fishing season in Río Grande?

The 2026/27 season began on 30 October 2026 and ends on 2 May 2027. On the Río Grande and its tributaries fishing closes on 18 April 2027 (Resolución S.A. 259/2026). The ministry page still shows last season's date, but the resolution says 2027.

Can I keep the fish I catch?

On the Río Grande and its tributaries, no: only catch and release of all salmonids is allowed. On other waters of the province you may keep one fish a day until 28 February 2027; from 1 March release is mandatory across the province.

Which permit do I need and how much is it?

The Tierra del Fuego provincial permit, registered at www.siped.ar. For non-resident foreigners in 2026/27: one day AR$ 78,000, three days AR$ 117,000, seven days AR$ 195,000, season AR$ 260,000. To fish the Grande and Menéndez rivers you add a preferential-zone permit: one day AR$ 59,000, three days AR$ 163,000, seven days AR$ 260,000, season AR$ 390,000. Values from Resolución 259/2026, in pesos.

Is the Patagonian permit valid?

According to 2024 press, the Patagonian permit is not valid in Tierra del Fuego or Santa Cruz. The Tierra del Fuego one is provincial. Confirm with your lodge or the Environment Secretariat before buying.

Can I use bait or troll?

No. Only spoon or spinning and fly are allowed, with a single artificial lure and a single or double hook. Bait, trolling from a motorised boat, lead weights, gaffs, nets and lures with batteries are banned.

Can I fish at night?

No. Fishing is allowed only between the twilight times published by the Naval Hydrographic Service, and night fishing is banned across the province.

How much does a week at a Río Grande lodge cost?

Kau Tapen Lodge publishes on its website, for the season from 26 December 2026 to 17 April 2027, USD 13,950 per person per week from 26 Dec to 9 Jan, USD 14,950 from 9 Jan to 20 Mar and USD 12,950 from 20 Mar to 17 Apr, in a single room with a shared guide (lodge website, read on 4 November 2026). The other operators we found publish no rate.

What does a lodge rate include?

For Kau Tapen: lodging, transfer from Río Grande airport, all meals and drinks, a professional guide (two anglers per guide) and loaner equipment. It does not include flights, the fishing licence (the lodge estimates about USD 550 per angler), laundry or tips. It asks for a 50% deposit and it is non-refundable. Each lodge includes different things: ask for the detail.

What is the best time to go?

It depends on whom you ask. AHO Fishing says the fish start returning in mid-November and that by the end of January most of the run is in the river; a trip seller for Wuijoor Lodge puts the best from late February to mid-April. Ask your lodge about the week you choose.

How do I get to Río Grande?

There are flights from Buenos Aires to Río Grande, about three hours according to Kau Tapen Lodge, and the transfer to the lodge takes 50 to 60 minutes. You can also arrive through Ushuaia, about three hours by road.

Sources consulted (8)